An image capturing apparatus includes a shutter spring which urges a shutter drive member for driving shutter blades, a shutter charge unit which is used to charge the shutter spring, and is switched between a fixed state in which a charge operation of the shutter spring is complete, and the shutter drive member is fixed and a released state, and a drive unit which drives the shutter charge unit. When a second determination unit determines that a switching ready state of a mirror from a mirror-down state to a mirror-up state is set when a first determination unit determines that a charge operation of the shutter spring is complete, the drive unit is controlled to drive the shutter charge unit to the released state without latch the shutter charge unit in the fixed state after the charge operation of the shutter spring is complete.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. An image capturing apparatus comprising: a shutter drive member which drives shutter blades; a shutter spring which urges said shutter drive member; a shutter charge unit adapted to charge said shutter spring, said shutter charge unit being switched between a fixed state in which a charge operation of said shutter spring is completed and said shutter drive member is fixed, and a released state in which the fixed state is released; a drive unit adapted to drive said shutter charge unit; a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed by driving of said shutter charge unit with said drive unit; a holding unit adapted to, when said shutter charge unit is switched to the released state, hold said shutter drive member with said shutter spring being charged; a mirror switched between a mirror-down state inserted in a shooting optical path and a mirror-up state retracted from the shooting optical path; a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not said mirror is in a switching ready state in which said mirror can be switched from the mirror-down state to the mirror-up state; and a control unit adapted to, if said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state when said first determination unit determines that the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed, control said drive unit to drive said shutter charge unit to the released state without stopping said shutter charge unit in the fixed state.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein if said second determination unit does not determine that said mirror is in the switching ready state when said first determination unit determines that the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed, said control unit controls said drive unit to stop said shutter charge unit in the fixed state, and to drive said shutter charge unit from the fixed state to the released state after said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a mirror drive motor for driving said mirror between the mirror-down state and the mirror-up state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state by determining whether or not a drive operation of said mirror by said mirror drive motor is completed.
4. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a focus detection unit which is capable of executing focus detection processing when said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state by determining whether or not the focus detection processing in the mirror-down state is completed.
5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising: a photometry unit which is capable of executing focus detection processing when said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state by determining whether or not the photometry processing in the mirror-down state is completed.
6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state by determining whether or not a time, which is set in advance, has elapsed after said mirror started a switching operation from the mirror-up state to the mirror-down state.
7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is in the switching ready state by determining whether or not a free space required for a shooting operation is assured in an image memory.
8. An image capturing apparatus comprising: a shutter drive member which drives shutter blades; a shutter spring which urges said shutter drive member; a shutter charge unit adapted to charge said shutter spring, said shutter charge unit being switched between a fixed state in which a charge operation of said shutter spring is completed and said shutter drive member is fixed, and a released state in which the fixed state is released; a drive unit adapted to drive said shutter charge unit; a first determination unit adapted to determine whether or not the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed by driving of said shutter charge unit with said drive unit; a holding unit adapted to, when said shutter charge unit is switched to the released state, hold said shutter drive member with said shutter spring being charged; a mirror switched between a mirror-down state inserted in a shooting optical path and a mirror-up state retracted from the shooting optical path; a second determination unit adapted to determine whether or not said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state; and a control unit adapted to, if said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state when said first determination unit determines that the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed, control said drive unit to drive said shutter charge unit to the released state without stopping said shutter charge unit in the fixed state.
9. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein if said second determination unit does not determine that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state when said first determination unit determines that the charge operation of said shutter spring is completed, said control unit controls said drive unit to stop said shutter charge unit in the fixed state, and to drive said shutter charge unit from the fixed state to the released state after said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state.
10. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising: a mirror drive motor for driving said mirror between the mirror-down state and the mirror-up state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state by determining whether or not a drive operation of said mirror by said mirror drive motor is completed.
11. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising: a focus detection unit which is capable of executing focus detection processing when said mirror is in the mirror-down state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state by determining whether or not the focus detection processing is completed.
12. The apparatus according to claim 8 , further comprising: a photometry unit which is capable of executing focus detection processing when said mirror is in the mirror-down state, wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state by determining whether or not the photometry processing is completed.
13. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state by determining whether or not a time, which is set in advance, has elapsed after said mirror started a switching operation from the mirror-up state to the mirror-down state.
14. The apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein said second determination unit determines that said mirror is switched to the mirror-down state by determining whether or not a free space required for a shooting operation is assured in an image memory.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 4, 2010
March 12, 2013
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